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How to become a successful web developer?

The reason I ask is because I find the number of different technologies out there that need to be used is quite overwhelming.

I mean just to become a decent, semi-employable developer you need to know:

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP/Scripting language, MySQL.

To master of become proficient in any of these technologies (barring maybe HTML/CSS) is quite difficult and there is a lot to learn.

I am wondering what route you took to becoming a developer, how much time it took to become a skilled professional. Did you do it alone, teaching yourself with online resources? or were you mentored by a pro?

What was your first professional job, what was the pay like, did you struggle with university or breeze through it.

I am basically asking about all aspects of you going from - I want to be a developer/programmer to actually becoming a competent pro.

A little about me: I find it quite difficult and daunting and the prospect of a career seems so far away at the moment. (I am only 20, so I do have time on my side). I do enjoy building web sites & have big ambitions but when I'm struggling to pick up something (OOP Java for example) it feels like I'm learning nothing and wasting my time. I am pretty good with HTML/CSS, can do the basics with JavaScript (mainly from finding solutions online and implementing them, such as here), have watched a few tutorial series' on PHP etc, but I wouldn't call myself a good programmer at all.

I understand why things are useful (Such as OOP for larger more manageable programs, JavaScript for manipulating web pages and making them interactive, PHP for building dynamic DB driven sites etc..)

I'm really interested to hear the replies from current pro web developers and programmers and also other aspiring to be so.

In my experience, good programmers (a) like to program, (b) are curious about programming, (c) like to solve puzzles, and (d) are stubborn*. If you don't feel that at least 3 of those attributes fit you, you may want to think twice about pursuing the programming end of things in web development.

As far as learning multiple programming languages, it does get easier. The more languages you learn, the faster you can learn new ones. Also, the more you learn about programming in general, the easier it is. To that end, don't just get caught up in learning syntax, but also spend time learning about general concepts and practices in programming, not just which array function to use in PHP for a particular purpose.

However, programming is only one aspect of web development. There are needs for user interface specialists, graphic designers, QA/Test specialists, copy writers, etc., etc. that may be more to your liking if programming is not a good fit.
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* In the sense that once they tackle a problem, they don't like to give up on it until they find a solution.

"Please give us a simple answer, so that we don't have to think, because if we think, we might find answers that don't fit the way we want the world to be."
~ Terry Pratchett in Nation

You need, also, a challenge. A real project, something which can push you ahead, beyond the barriers of the theory. You will learn much by your own try-error-solve circles than by studying obscure methods without implement them in a the real world.

The road to success in web development, like many other goals in life and career, is step by step. You couldn't learn all those skills over night. Just start small but keep going steadily.

You could learn faster if you look at others works and try to change it the way you want or just to hone your skills. For example, download a free website template and try to modernize it, make it more beautiful or add more functionality to it through javascript, jquery, php or whatever you know. And everyday, learn something new. This way you could sooner or later become a very skilled web developer/designer.

Web designers and web developers are two of the most sought-after professions these days, and it's not as hard is it may seem to become one. With some free time, a keen interest, and a lot of practice and patience, you could find yourself making world-class websites and earning a nice income from them.

If you become a successful developer, so first you need to learn Programming languages and have to make the best hand on various coding tools like “Dreamweavers”. It provides support only for the most popular web languages such as PHP, ASP.NET, JavaScript, HTML, CSS. It is mainly suitable for beginner developers, with support for WYSIWYG editing, live previews, deployment of remote servers and building apps with jQuery mobile and Phonegap.

Find some programming Forums, magazines and blogs and read them regularly. Whether you need to learn new skills, enhance your current skills, stay on top of progressions in the web design industry, or discover customers who are eager to pay you what you value.

From my experience there were a few ways I became a successful developer:

Own a Portfolio: Even if it doesn't look fancy it can still look good to an employer/contractor, a functional basic website is more impressive than a flashy failure.
Try your own projects: I have a myriad of projects that did and didn't go live in the end, some of them are so outlandish they only exist as a proof-of-concept; All these sites gave me vital experience and knowledge of the languages and frameworks required to become successful.
Don't be afraid of problems: Is there a bug? Fix it. Don't know how? Try to find it, or find help (no shame in getting help). Don't let it get you down and put you off.
And finally, don't give up; Like any professional there are issues, but at the end of the day, one completed project looks a whole lot better than a hundreds of half-done ones.

In the end, practice and perseverance makes you successful, this is true for most skills.